...and sometimes you crash I didn't even take photos before sending the GSX-R off to the frame shop to have the right side motor mount re-made. The frame slider caught on something and snapped everything below the bolt clean off. Most people and all insurance adjusters would call that a total loss. Whatever. There's an old man in Pasadena that knows how to work magic with a heli-arc. For a little more than $300, I should h... By Sean Smith News - Apr 10 2011 -
PCH slip-out near Big Sur Imagine you're flying around a corner on the Pacific Coast Highway, just north of Big Sur. You've picked your knee up off the ground and the throttle is twisted to the stop. Look up and, to your horror, there's nothing but a precariously balanced piece of asphalt way over on the left, on the right, a guard rail hanging in space and, where your fast moving sport bike is pointed, nothing but a gia... By Sean Smith News - Mar 20 2011 -
A Swiss Army knife with wheels You probably can’t fit the 40lbs (without battery) Voltitude on your keychain, but something tells me Wes might try anyways. The Swiss inventors behind it want to create a vehicle with the same near-universal utility of their country’s famous knife, providing commuters with a practical moped they can fold and then roll into their apartment or office. You don’t even need to carry it, once fol... By Sean Smith News - Mar 18 2011 -
The Facts Behind Honda's Secret Gearbox Just the facts, Soichiro. By Sean Smith Technology - Mar 17 2011 -
Gear: Alpinestars Protection Backpack After two years of 80 mile commutes, my old Tech Aero backpack was toast. I picked up the Alpinestars Protection Backpack as a replacement. The main selling points of the old bag were a back protector sleeve, large capacity, and waist and chest straps. It was a bag built specifically for motorcycling rather than a school bag with a fancy logo. The Protection bag builds on this idea and has many of... By Sean Smith News - Mar 4 2011 -
My first motorcycle race For as long as I can remember, I've wanted to race. The problem has never been fear, nerves or a lack of skill, but money. Racing is insanely expensive. Even running a clapped out SV650 costs a lot more than most young people (I’m 22) can afford. I found my solution last Sunday at Willow Springs with M1GP on an XR100 shod with funky street tires. Even riding a mini-supermoto that I got for fre... By Sean Smith News - Mar 4 2011 -
36 hours in Portland, on a bike Growing up in Los Angeles, and never having lived anywhere else, I'm used to the way people in Los Angeles act. In Los Angeles people you've never met don't offer you their motorcycles, shop owners don't let you poke around their shops with a camera and, in general, people just aren't all that friendly. In Portland though, all that is reversed. After only three emails, and without even asking, Tho... By Sean Smith News - Feb 3 2011 -
